What he said. I ran some +P+ through my 6946 and felt it was a little too warm despite the extra-power Wolff recoil spring I had onboard: the slide would hesitate at the rear before returning to battery.

To avoid posting a brand new thread on this, I'll tag onto this one.. I just got a never-fired 6906 as a gift (from the guy who never fired it) and was sold some Corbon DPX +P ammo when I asked the local shop for a good defensive round. It's so expensive I didn't bother firing it (I did test the gun ITSELF with the various other JHP and FMJ ammos I received it with).

Do I HAVE to get one of those heavy springs another poster mentioned? Or will this gun handle +P *as-is*?

I carried a 6906 for several years as an LE duty gun and we were forbidden to fire at +p ammo through ours. I know the concern from the range staff was how the hotter rounds would impact (no pun intended) the aluminum frames, especially those that had been in service for several years. I always adopted the philsophy (with most guns and the use of +p ammo) to shoot standard stuff and carry +p.

Originally posted by Schtibbie:
To avoid posting a brand new thread on this, I'll tag onto this one.. I just got a never-fired 6906 as a gift (from the guy who never fired it) and was sold some Corbon DPX +P ammo when I asked the local shop for a good defensive round. It's so expensive I didn't bother firing it (I did test the gun ITSELF with the various other JHP and FMJ ammos I received it with).

Do I HAVE to get one of those heavy springs another poster mentioned? Or will this gun handle +P *as-is*?

Welcome, Schtibbie. The factory recoil springs will most likely be just fine for occasional +P use. I would, however, buy a few new springs from S&W, Brownells, etc. to have on hand as spares / replacements. I've made it a practice to always buy new recoil and magazine springs whenever I purchase a new semi auto. You'll need to replace them eventually, so you might as well have a few new ones on hand for when you need them. When you get the new ones, take your original ones out and compare lengths.

In addition, you should always fire AT THE VERY LEAST one full magazine of whatever ammo that you are going to use for self defense purposes in the gun. It is expensive, but consider the value of what you are protecting with it. You need to be sure of two things: 1. that the gun is reliable and accurate with that ammunition, and 2. that YOU are reliable and accurate with that ammunition.

The DPX bullet shape is a bit different than many others. Combine this factor with the many overall length and dimension offerings in 9mm over-the-counter SD ammo, and there is quite a bit of variation out there. You want to be ABSOLUTELY SURE that your gun RELIABLY feeds the top round off the mag, the bottom round off the mag, and every round in between. The only way to assure reliability is by repeating the test many times. The very last thing you want is a reliability issue when you are depending on the gun for a serious, life threatening situation. Imagine calling 911 and getting a busy signal. Imagine having to pull your weapon and then dealing with a malfunction right out of the chute. Not good.

Whenever I go to the range with my semis, I always fire one mag of SD ammo FIRST. Then I get down to target practice with target ammo. I figure that firing my SD ammo FIRST best simulates a couple of the physical conditions that will likely exist if I ever have to actually USE the gun in self defense: No "warm up" for me, and no "warm up" for the gun. Both you and the gun go from a state of being at rest (so to speak) to a state of action. Since you don't test fire your gun after disassembly, cleaning, and reassembly, firing it with your SD ammo FIRST when you get to the range instillS confidence in the weapon and confidence in the user (who, hopefully, is the same person who did the last disassembly, cleaning, and reassembly). Kind regards, and best of luck with your new 6906.

Originally posted by wilkup:
Can anyone help me with the recoil springs used on this gun for firing the tough stuff?

Wilkup,

Welcome to the forum.

I don't think you're going to get the specific answer that you are looking for. Lots of folks don't feel comfortable using +P+ rated ammo. I prefer sticking with standard or +P loads, but that's just my own opinion (which is based upon self imposed personal safety & liability concerns, as well a preference for having a wider variety of ammo to choose from off the shelf). I know that the +P+ stuff has a following, though, so if that is what you want to use, then carry on.

Wolff does offer Recoil Calibration Paks that include 1 standard and 1 each of the 4 "extra power" springs. I'd suggest going that route and planning a couple of trips to the range to fine tune your pistol. You're probably going to have to do some trial and error testing for your specific gun and the specific cartridge you want to use.

Assuming that your firearm will safely tolerate the pressures of the +P+ loads, consider one other factor: If you wind up using a very heavy recoil spring for your +P+ loads, the gun may not function very reliably (or at all) with standard loads if you had to use them.

When it comes to bullets and bad guys, however, Erich's sig says it all.

Just a word to the wise. Be careful when using +P+ ammo. My Sig 226 will digest anything, and has for 25 years. The only ammo it jams on is Cor Bon +P+. If you do use this ammo, be sure you call Wolff and get the proper spring. Cor bon ammo is tops for 9mm one shot stopping power.
Bob